EPISODE 108 | Swiftboating Redux: Taylor Swift Derangement Syndrome She's the most successful pop star today, yet some people seem to suffer brain meltdowns when thinking about Taylor Swift. Call it TDSD, Taylor Swift Derangement Syndrome, and it takes hold especially in MAGAmaniacs, Trumpeteers, Trad Chads and broflakes.  Tracing the conspirasphere's treatment of Swift along with her career and life, including Kanyegate and the Masters Dispute, shows some interesting connections as TDSD spreads far and wide, outpaced only by her own wildly popular musical output. THIS EPISODE MARKS THE B ..read more

EPISODE 107 | Traces of Reality: Abstract Art and the CIA (World Is Weird 13) Guest: Mandy Theis, founder and director of the School of Atelier Arts, academic director and professor at the Florence Academy of Art Maybe you've walked into a museum or gallery and seen a big white, blank canvas, or a huge circle, and thought, "So, this is art, eh?". But why is there so much of this abstract stuff around? The answer might be surprising - because the CIA promoted it as part of the Cold War. And then it rather got away from them. Today, the art market is the most unregulated in the world, and aesthe ..read more

EPISODE 106 | Suffer the Children – Pizzagate, Wayfair & the Seeds of QAnon "Without a clear indication of the author's intent, it is difficult or impossible to tell the difference between an expression of sincere extremism and a parody of extremism." In the world of the internet, this is known as Poe’s Law, and it’s especially applicable to the weird narrative Gordian Knot known as Pizzagate. The adage applies not just to how absurd some beliefs are, but also to the arguments made by people who hold these beliefs. First formulated in 2005 by Nathan Poe, it builds on a 2001 quote by Alan M ..read more

EPISODE 105 | Capitol Assets: Weird DC (Travelogue 4) Guest: Fayge Horesh, co-creator, writer and host of the D Listers of History podcast, and licensed tour guide Washington D.C. is an interesting place and, like many cities, has some oddities. We take a look at some of the things around town that might not be obvious at first glance, like (not-so secret) tunnels, ghost cats, strange clocks, hollow domes, street plans, statues, snipers, protected trees, food trucks and more. Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingisc ..read more

EPISODE 104 | Fatal Attraction: Magnet Woo While we use magnets all the time, most of us don’t know some of the subtleties of magnetic fields and the electromagnetic force. This lack of knowledge is the perfect opening for scam artists to sell unsuspecting folks all kinds of sham cures for illnesses and injuries, opening up a wide world of woo and pseudoscientific narratives. Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast. Review us he ..read more

EPISODE 103 | Down in Bermuda, It’s Easy to Believe – The Devil’s Triangle Back in the 70s, the Bermuda Triangle was all over the place but today, not so much. Whatever happened with that? Did it go away? Was it debunked? Or did the woosphere simply get bored and move on to juicer subjects?  A bit of both. Plus, the are lots of other supposed interesting/mysterious/dangerous triangles out there. They do have sharp corners, after all.  Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buyme ..read more

EPISODE 102 | Conspiracy Thinking in the Middle East (Because Reasons 10) Guest: Adel Aali, creator and host of the podcasts History Behind News and Unravelling the Middle East Conspiracy theories seem to thrive in the Middle East, but why? Adel Aali takes a look at some of the more common CTs, as well as where they come from and why that region might be primed for conspiracy thinking due to its history.  Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee You can also SUBSCRIBE ..read more

EPISODE 100 | Conspirasphere Rising - A Talk w/Derek Arnold Guest: Derek Arnold, Senior Instructor at Villanova University, where he teaches a course on The Rhetoric of Conspiracy Theories The modern conspirasphere sort of starts with the assassination of JFK, and events in the two decades that follow help shape a growing trend toward conspiracy thinking in the United States. Mr. Arnold teaches his students all about this, and also offers guidance in how to construct a toolkit for analyzing conspiracy theories that they can take with them out into the world. This is our 100th episode! What a l ..read more

EPISODE 99 | A Bridge Too Far: The Mothman Visits Point Pleasant The strange events of 1966-1967 in and around Point Pleasant, West Virginia gave rise to one of America's most enduring legends - the Mothman. It made the headlines and also the careers of Gray Barker and John Keel. But it was more than just a large winged creature. There were visits from the Men in Black, UFOs aplenty, poltergeists and other high weirdness.  Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee You can a ..read more

EPISODE 97 | Üst akıl – Totally Turkey Turkey is a place with a complex history and a diverse population, which can lead to a sense of uncertainty and instability. Conspiracy theories that offer simple explanations for complex events and interactions, seem to take hold easily there, especially lately. This can make it difficult for people to distinguish between reliable information and propaganda and can contribute to the spread of false information and conspiracy theories. All told, Turkey seems to be particularly susceptible to the spread of conspiracy narratives. Which is a darned shame, si ..read more